Attainment for Pupil Premium pupils lower in 2018

Date: 28.09.2018

Having reduced each year from 2015 to 2017, the Progress 8 Pupil Premium gap increased by 0.12 from 2017 to 2018. This represents a difference of 1.2 points in overall Attainment 8 i.e. equivalent to just over one grade lower in one subject. This might seem relatively small, but in the context of Progress 8 scores it represents a substantial change in the overall Pupil Premium gap.

Gaps also increased for individual components within Attainment 8 – particularly for EBacc/other subjects and for English.

Assuming that gaps in entry for EBacc/other subjects have, at the very least, remained the same in 2018, then the widening of the gap suggests that, relative to other pupils, Pupil Premium pupils have found the new reformed GCSEs to be more difficult.